Assembler slide for typographical machines



Aug. l5, 1939. H. R. FREUND f l 2,1595974 ASSEMBLEE SLDE FRI TYPOGRAPHICAL`MACHINES l Fild oct. 1, 1958 ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 15, 1939 PATENT OFFICE ASSEMBLEE SLIDE FOR. TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINES Herman R. Freund, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Intertype Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 1, 1938, Serial No. 232,867

9 Claims.

This invention relates to matrix line composing and slug casting machines of the general organization represented in U. S. Letters Patent No. 436,532 granted September 16, 1890,

iY in which character bearing matrices, upon operation of a keyboard, are released from storage magazines and assembled into lines. for presentation to a slotted mold in which the type bars or slugs are cast, the slugs being subsequently v ejected from the mold for use in printing forms and the matrices being returned to their places of storage in the magazines.

'Ihe present invention is concerned more particularly with the devices on machines of the class referred to which control the length of the assembled lines of matrices and relates specifically to means for adjusting these devices in conformity with new requirements brought about by recent changes in the standard width of col- Oslumns of print in newspapers.

Heretofore the practice has been to employ what is commonly known as G-point column rule to thus separate .adjacent columns of print by a space -pointsV wide with a thin dividing line 5 r nidway of this space. More recently it has been found possible to effect considerable economies in the amount of newsprint or paper required for the ordinary newspaper by reducing the thickness of the column rule from -pointsto 4-points,

gglls'uch reduction affording a saving amounting to several thousands of dollars per year to a moderate size newspaper plant.

As usually constructed, machines of the classl referred to are provided with a so-called as-` 35` sembler slide provided with a manually adjustable member which cooperates with a iixed stop on the machine frame when the length of the assembled line reaches the selected measure indicated on a graduated scale. Ordinarily the 4Q 'scale is graduated for full and one-half em line measures from zero to 30 ems, or to 42 ems in certain machines, and the adjusting member is likewise arranged for setting it at corresponding full or half em positions along the assembler 45Lslide.

While this division by half ems hasv been perfectly satisfactory in connection with the use of 6-point column rule between standard 12 em lines as found in newspapers it is not suitable 50when 4-point column rule is used. This is explained bythe fact that the use of the 4-point column rule naturally affects the length of lines intended to occupy a width of two or more co1- umns, it being evident that withvG-point rule 55l between single columns of 12 ein lines, a double ures obtainable with the usual half-em divisions 10` to which adjustment vof the slide and its travel during assembly of lines have heretofore been limited, thus enabling the composition of odd length lines at least of such line measures which come into use when dealingrwith the production of double or triple column Width lines for newspaper printing with the columns separated by 4-point rule.

The object of the present invention is to provide means adapted tomeet the foregoing new conditions. To this end, the travel or advance of the assembler slide as the matrices are assembled into lines is limited at the required odd line measures preferably by a member associated constructions may be employed for this purpose, 3()y the `specii'lc arrangement shown in the present instance and which is preferable, comprising a pair of members for controlling and retaining the settings of the adjusting member and slidable therewith along the assembler slide, each member having teeth spaced one-half em apart and adapted to cooperate with the similarly spaced teeth on the slide but only one member at a time being operative. These members are preferably, in effect, locking members forretain- 40 ing the adjusting member of the slide in different selected positions, one member serving as usual to cooperate with the slide when the latter is adjusted for full and half-em line measures. The other or auxiliary member enables meeting the new conditions referred to and according to the present invention this member is adapted to cooperate with the half-em spaced teeth on the slide only when the latter is adjusted for line measures which are 4-points in advance of or 50.

beyond any of the usual full and half-em settings indicated on the graduated scale, cooperation of this member with the slide at such adjustments being rendered possible by the fact that y its teeth are oiset4-points relative to the teeth 55 on the member which is operative at the usual full and half-em line measure settings.

Obviously the aforesaid adjustment controlling members which will hereinafter be referred to as locking members may provide for some addition other than l-points, the 4-point arrangement being selected in the present instance because it is particularly adapted to a wide eld of printing. Thus, for newspapers using l-point column rule, lines 24 ems plus 4-points in length may be produced for double column printing and lines 18 ems plus 4-points in length may be produced for triple column printing. The latter lines must, of course, be 36 ems plus 8-points in length which is longer than it is possible to cast on the standard em machines and to produce such lines it is common practice to cast one-half of the line at a time (18 ems plus Ll-points) andv butt the two slugs endwise when they are made up in the printing forms.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of the matrix assembler mechanism of a typographical machine, showing the usual assembler slide attached to the machine and having the adjusting member of the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a top plan View of a portion of the assembler slide shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view onan enlarged scale of the adjusting member as seen from the rear of the assembler slide and shows one locking member in operative position;

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3 but shows the other locking member in operative position;

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 in Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the assembler slide in Figure 1 on an enlarged scale.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several views.

Referring to the drawing, in which the invention is shown applied to a typographical machine of well known construction, the usual assembler slide supporting bracket I is rigidly secured to a portion 2 of the frame of the machine which carries parts associated with the assembler slide such as the rotating star wheel 4 and the matrix delivery belt 5 driven by a pulley 6. The matrices which, upon operation of a keyboard, fall by gravity through passages 'I are picked up by the traveling belt and delivered flatwise over the star wheel which deposits them upright in the receptacle 8 where they are supported edgewise between the star wheel and the face 9 of the nger II) secured to the assembler slide bar II. Each matrix deposited in the receptacle 8 advarices the nger I8 further to the left and a brake IIa holds the slide in its successively advanced positions as the line is being assembled.

The bar at the opposite end from the ringer II] is connected to a link I2 freely engaging a stud I3 in the bar and a stud I4 at the lower end of a two-armed lever I5 pivoted at I6 on the machine frame, a tension spring connected to the other arm of this lever and to the machine frame serving to retain the slide normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 where the bar at its right hand end banks against a fixed abutment I8 and the finger II) lies adjacent to the star wheel 4.

The assembler slide bar I I is supported for horizontal sliding movement on the bracket I by suitable plates |9 and 28 secured respectively to the frame 2 and the bracket I and is provided with an adjustable member 2| arranged to slide on a bar 22 rigidly mounted on studs I3 and 23 projecting forwardly from the bar and having teeth 24 spaced one-half em apart along its lower edge. In an enlarged portion 25 of the member 2| is a vertical slot 26 in which is mounted for free vertical movement two independently operable locking members 2'I and 28 each urged upwardly by a spring 29 and each having teeth spaced onehalf em apart adapted to cooperate with the simi larly spaced teeth on bar 22. At the left hand end of member 2| is a lug 30 projecting forwardly therefrom and engageable against a stop 3| when the assembler slide moves leftward in the usual manner to a point Where the length of the assembled line of matrices corresponds to the setting of the adjustable member 2| of the slide.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 6, a scale 32 on bar 22 and visible through an opening 33 in member 2| indicates the line length or line measure setting of the assembler slide, the scale being graduated in ems and half ems for this purpose and being read at the point of registration of Ia scribe mark on the scale with the edge 34 of the panel around the opening 33.

The locking member 2'l corresponds to the similar member formerly applied to machines of the class referred to, the teeth 35 thereon spaced one-half em apart engaging the similarly spaced teeth 24 on bar 22 whenever the adjustable member 2| is set at full or at half em divisions on the scale 32. Heretofore, the assembler slide has been constructed to provide only for such full and half em settings and this arrangement has been satisfactory when producing double column width lines for newspapers employing S-point column rule, such lines being 241/2 ems long which corresponds to the 2411/2 em setting of the assembler slide.

According to the present invention, there is provided in the slot 26 adjacent to the locking member 2l a similar member 28 with teeth 36 spaced one-half em apart but offset relative to the teeth on the member 21 by l-points. The teeth on both locking members and also on the bar 22 are, of course, three points wide minus the small amount necessary for freedom. Thus, at a given setting of the assembler slide determined,A of course, by the position of the adjustable member 2|, the teeth on only one of the locking members 2l or 28 will be engageable therewith and operative.

This condition is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein in Fig. 3 the member 21 is operative its teeth 35 being engaged with the teeth on the bar 22 and the slide thus being adjusted to a full or a half em` setting on the scale 32. In such case the teeth 36 of member 28 will be disengaged from the bar 22 and thus inoperative, the teeth 36, as hereinbefore mentioned, being offset 4 points with respect to the teeth on the member 2'I. In Fig. 4, however, the auxiliary locking member 28 is operative, its teeth 36 being engaged with the teeth 24 on the bar 22 and the setting of the slide being thus altered by the addition of II-points to the nearest normal line measure setting. In other words, the member 2| and consequently the stop lug 3U thereon is set at a position 4-points in advance disengaged from the bar 22. The vclose proximity of `the members' Z'Iand 28 enables simultaneously depressing both members;.

by a single actuating movement by the operators finger whereupon, the adjustable member 2| of the assembler slide may be moved to any desired. full or half em position. At anyposition and upon release of the depressing action on the members 21 and 28, the member 21 under the influence of its spring 29 will be operative to engage its teeth 35 with the teeth Z on bar 22 to thus retain member 2l at the selected line measure position, the member 28 at such times remaining inoperative due to the aforesaid ofisetting of the teeth thereon. Lug 3i) will then prevent leftward movement of the assembler slide bar Il when the length of the assembled line of matrices corresponds to such selected line measure. However, the slide may also be set at line measure positions which are li-points in advance of any full or half em measure by simply depressing both locking members and adjusting the member 2| to a position 4-points beyond any full or half em reading on the scale 32, and releasing both members, the teeth 38 of member 28 then engaging the teeth 24 on bar 22 to retain this altered adjustment of the slide and the member 21 remaining inoperative.

Thus, when double column width lines are required as for newspapersl wherein each single colume of 12 em lines is separated by a 4-point vertical rule, the auxiliary locking member 28 provided by the present invention enables the assembler slide to be set at 24 ems plus 4-points, this being the length of lines required to fit into such double columns. Similarly, when triple column width lines 36 ems plus 8-points in length are required and 4-point vertical rule is used, the locking member 28 of the present invention enables setting the assembler slide at 18 ems plus Li-points so that two lines of such length may be cast on separate slugs and the slugs then butted end to end. For convenience and quick reading, there may be provided on the scale 32 at the respective positions Li-points in advance of the 18 and 24 em readings, a heavy scribe mark as indicated in Fig. 6.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a typographical machine having a matrix assembler slide provided with a movable adjusting member to set the slide for matrix lines of different lengths, means for retaining said member at positions of adjustment in accordance with em and one-half em line measures, and means for retaining said member at positions of adjustment in accordance with measures intermediate of the em and one-half em measures, both of said retaining means being releasable by a single actuating movement to permit movement of the adjusting member, and each of said retaining means being operable independently upon movement of the adjusting member to line measure positions corresponding thereto.

2. In a typographical machine having an assembler slide comprising a toothed slide bar and a member adjustable thereon to effect a-djustments thereof according to evenly spaced graduations determined by the teeth on said bar, and a locking member adapted for automatic cooperation with the teeth on the slide bar when the adjustable member is moved to a position out of correspondence with the graduations on said bar-and to retain Saidmemberat said position.

3. In a typographical machine having an asl, sembler slide comprising a main slide bar and a member adjustable relative thereto, a plurality of locking members for retaining the adjustment of said adjustable member and adapted for release therefrom by a single actuating movement to permit adjustment of said member, each locking member being adapted for automatic cooperation with the main slide bar at a different predetermined set of 4evenly spaced intervals along said bar upon movement of the adjustable member to one or the other set of intervals.

4. In a typographical machine having a movable assembler slide provided with a member ad.- justable relative thereto and cooperative therewith for determining the adjustment of the slide in accordance with evenly spaced one-half em graduations, a xed stop cooperative with the slide to limit the movement thereof in accordance with the adjustment of said member, and means adapted to render eiective the cooperation of the slide with said stop in accordance with adjustments out of correspondence with said evenly spaced graduations.

5. In a typographical machine having an assembler slide provided with a member adjustable relative thereto in accordance with evenly spaced graduations on the slide, said slide being movable to different line measure positions determined by the adjustment of said member, a f

xed stop cooperative with the slide upon movement thereof to the line measure position for which the slide is adjusted, and means adapted for automatic cooperation with the slide at positions of adjustment of said adjustable member out of correspondence with said evenly spaced graduations by a predetermined amount to thereby limit the movement of the slide in accordance with such adjustments.

6. In a typographical machine having an assembler slide movable to diierent extents according to the length of a composed matrix line and provided with evenly spaced graduations, a member adjustable relative to the slide for limiting the movement thereof, and a pair of locking members adapted for automatic cooperation with the graduations on said slide upon movement of the adjustable member respectively to positions in correspondence with said evenly spaced graduations and to positions out of correspondence therewith by a predetermined amount, cooperation of one of said members precluding cooperation of the other member.

7. In a typographical machine having an adjustable assembler slide provided with evenly spaced graduations, a member movable relative to the slide to effect diierent adjustments thereof, said member having a pair of independently operable locking members adapted for automatic engagement with the slide upon movement of the adjustable member respectively to positions corresponding with the graduations on said slide and to positions offset with respect to said graduations by a predetermined amount.

8. In a typographical machine having a matrix assembler slide provided with evenly graduated teeth and having a member adjustable thereon to set the slide for matrix lines of diiferent lengths, a pair of toothed locking members mounted in said adjustable member each constantly urged toward engaging relation with the teeth on the slide, the teeth on one of the stantly urged. toward engaging relation with the teethfon the slide, and alternatively engageable therewith to retain the adjustable member respectively at settings corresponding to the addition of equal or unequal increments to the Iengthofa line, the teeth on one of the locking members being offset relatively to those on the other locking member a distance less than the space between graduations on the slide to thereby effect such alternative engagement of the l,

locking members.

HERMAN R. FREUND. 

